Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Avocado
Whip up this crunchy cucumber salad with avocado in just minutes, and enjoy its cool, crisp freshness alongside chicken, fish . . . or just about anything.
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Ingredient-Stretching Tip: Use any extra dill from this recipe to garnish this zucchini with feta and vinegar.
Everyone needs a super simple salad recipe in their repertoire, and this crunchy cucumber salad with avocado is definitely one of them. It’s a “barely counts as a recipe” recipe because of its limited ingredients and the utter lack of concentration it requires to make it. But, hey, not everything needs to be complicated, so off to this salad we go.
Cool, crisp, and refreshing, it pairs well with just about anything, especially chicken and fish. You can also dress it up easily. Adding some tomatoes, olives, or crumbled feta won’t break any rules here, or you can leave it as is.
This cucumber salad is ideal for the warmer months but suitable year-round. It’s also very economical, can be made ahead of time (sans dressing and avocado), and is easily transportable—perfect for a picnic side.
But what’s the best thing about this crunchy cucumber salad with avocado? It’s also creamy, thanks to the avocado and how it breaks down as you toss it with the rest of the ingredients. It’s perfect if you like salads with creamy dressings but not the extra calories that come with it.
Why You’ll Love This Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Avocado
- Creamy: This salad has a nice creaminess to it, even though it has no creamy dressing! The avocado contributes to this texture.
- Versatile: You can add tomatoes, feta, olives, or whatever else you might like to bulk up this salad, though it’s already pretty hardy on its own because of the avocado.
- Portable: This salad make a great barbecue or picnic side. Prepare it shortly before serving to ensure the avocado stays green (the vinegar and onion will help), or prepare the salad without the avocado and add it right before serving.
Key Ingredients
- English Cucumber: These cucumbers have a more delicate skin than “regular” cucumbers, so you can leave it on.
- Red Wine Vinegar: This gives the salad a distinct flavor, so I recommend it over any substitutes.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Avocado
- Assemble the salad: Add the sliced cucumber, avocado chunks, diced onion, and minced dill to a large bowl.
- Season the salad: Add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar to the salad and mix together well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Pro Tips
- Prepare ahead of time: You can prepare this salad beforehand; just leave out the dressing and avocado until you’re ready to serve it.
Variations & Substitutions
-Fresh minced parsley would be a nice addition to the dill.
-Add tomatoes, olives, or any favorites for a heartier salad.
-Add some crumbled feta cheese for added creaminess and some tang.
-Replace the red onion with scallions, or use both for more onion flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Avocados turn brown fairly quickly because they undergo oxidation once exposed to air. Although there are “remedies” to slow down the process, they seem to be hit or miss for many people. For this recipe, the avocado should be OK if you prepare the salad one to two hours before serving it (just keep the salad covered and in the refrigerator), but it’s still best eaten right away.
Storage
Refrigerator: Because of the avocado, this salad is best when finished in one sitting. But if you have leftovers, either finish or toss the avocado and store the remaining cucumbers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Finish it within 2 days.
More Salad Recipes
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Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber skin-on, sliced into roughly ¼" rounds
- 1 to 2 avocados peeled and cut into small chunks (Note 1)
- ⅓ cup red onion peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Note 2)
- Black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add the cucumber, avocado, red onion, and fresh dill to a large bowl.1 sliced English cucumber, 1 to 2 cut avocado, ⅓ cup diced red onion, 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- Season the cucumber salad with the remaining ingredients.½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Toss everything together. Taste for salt and add more if needed. You can also adjust by adding more garlic powder, olive oil, and vinegar. Enjoy!
